This 'n that

Monday

Jan 26, 2009 at 7:05 AMJan 26, 2009 at 7:06 AM

STEVE WILLIAMS Opinion Page Editor

We said last week that, given the incredible mess the State of California's finances are in, and given the looming $40 billion deficit, it was probably inevitable that Republicans will cave and compromise with the tax-andspend Democrats to pass a state budget. But we thought the caving would come from other than representatives of the High Desert.

Wrong again. Anthony Adams, Hesperia's representative to the California State Assembly, said midweek that he was among Republicans who are willing to consider a tax hike as part of a wider-ranging deal to close the state's budget gap.

Adams had a caveat, of course, as did other Republicans who appeared to be cracking under the strain. They want "reforms" as the compromise for tax hikes. "(We must be able) to tell constituents, 'Look, we had to raise taxes, we had to go forward, but we've fundamentally altered the way in which Sacramento is going to be budgeted - and we will not have these problems again because of it,'" he was quoted as saying by the Sacramento Bee.

Bottom line: OK, we'll go along with tax hikes, but please make it look like we got something for giving in. • It is welcome news that Jim Cox, for many years the city manager of Victorville who over those years forged a reputation for straight talk, no nonsense administration of the city's government, is returning on an interim basis to his old job. Cox served the city's residents so well that a couple of years ago was accorded, in a Daily Press poll, a very high ranking as one of the most instrumental and effective leaders in the valley's history.

Mr. Cox was city manager when we showed up in the valley, and it didn't take us long to decide that, of the five city councils across the country we've covered as journalists, he was the best we'd seen. He takes over for Jon Roberts, who left to become city manager of Steamboat Springs, Colo. The expertise Roberts takes with him to Steamboat - and that expertise is considerable, as is his reputation for making great contributions to the valley's growth and Victorville's reputation for being one of the most pro-business communities in the state - will serve his new city and its people well, we believe.

What we didn't see in the story announcing Cox's appointment was what city taxpayers will be paying him. In this time of financial stress, not only for Victorville, but the valley, the county, the state and the nation - never mind the world - we thought local residents might be interested in what Mr. Cox will be paid. • Much has been made of the fact that George W. Bush, in the wake of 9/11, has kept us safe from further terrorist attacks on American soil. Bush defenders make it a point that no such attacks have occurred since that awful September day, and give him, justifiably in our view, great credit for that.

His detractors, of course, say that Mr. Bush had little to do with it, and particularly that the elimination of Saddam Hussein was unrelated to America's safety.

We're here to tell you that newly sworn in Barack Obama is not among those who give no credit to Bush or his policies for our relative safety. He doesn't say that in so many words, of course - that would be praise for a man and his policies who Mr. Obama roundly criticized over the course of his campaign - but there's little doubt that his actions since taking office last Tuesday acknowledge that Bush's policies, actions and decisions contributed greatly to our safety.

President Obama knows full well that if he releases some of those people, and they later turn up as fomenters of plots to terrorize America, he will pay a very heavy price. He also knows that the next terrorist attack on this country will be on his head, and he wants no part of that. So, despite all those "promises" he made during his campaign, you can be sure he will make every effort to do as well in combatting our enemies as Mr. Bush did.

We're positive that at the end of his administration President Obama will be able to look back and say, "I kept America safe." So do we.

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